Omaha daily bee., 1887-12-30
MASSACHUSETTS REFORMERS..
Annual Banquet of the Bay State
Tariff Reform League.
cLeveLANp's NAME cHseReo.
Reference 10 the President Greeted
by Prolonged Applause-Ad.
dresses BY Prominent Men
Endorsing Revision.
A Bourbon Banuuet.

BOSTON, Dec. 2e.-The meeting and ban
Duet of the Massachusetts Tariff Reform
league at the Brunswick tonight were highly
successful. There was present large
number Of prominent politicians and govern
ment officials from Massachusetts and else
where, among the number being Hon James
Russell Lowell General John M. Corse, Hon.
Patrick A. Collins, congressman w. c. p.
Breckenridge of Kentucky, w. L. Wilson,
Of West Virginia and Senator, John r.
Morgan, of Alabama.
AT 8 AS the business meeting Of the league
was held and resolutions endorsing the mes
sage of President Cleveland were unani-
fnously adopted Officers were then elected,
after which the party proceeded to the ban
quet hall. When the gentlemen, to the num-
Der Of 3i2, were seated, Rev. James Freeman
Clark, d. d., invoked divine blessing.
After the banquet Hon. James
Lowell raped the meeting to order
In the course Of his address Lowell was in
terrupted frequently by storms Of applause
At his first reference to president Cleveland
DIR. William Everett, ir., proposed three
cheers for Cleveland, which were given with
will. Lowell, in the course Of his remarks
said: "One of the reasons that chiefly sug-
gested the opportuneness of our coming to-
gether here has been the presidents message
at the opening Of the present congress. Per-
sonally, l confess that feel myself strongly
attracted to Cleveland as the best representa-
tive of the higher type of Americanism
that we have seen since Lincoln was
shatched from u.s. But we are not
here to thank him as the head of party. We
are here to felicltate each other that the
presidential chair has man in it, and this
q Nyp: Ia a
with what he is. We are here 20 felicitate
each other that this man Understands politics
10 mean business not Inicanery, plain speak
ing, not palte".Eg with us in double sense; {;
Una! ne ma, mad the courage to tell the truth
10 te.e country without regard to personal or
party consequences, and thus to remind us
that country not worth telling the truth to
Is not worth living in, nay, deserves to
have lies told 1t and to take the inevitable
consequences in the calamity. Our politics
call loudly for a broom. Cleveland, l think,
has found the broom and begun to ply it..
He has shown us that there was
such thing as being protected too much and
that we had protected our shipping interests
80 eifcctually that they had ceased to be pro-
tected by ceasing to exist In thus limiting
the field of his warning and his counsels he
has done wisely, and we shall do wisely in
following his example.
Senator Morgan, of Alabama, said: "Sec-
tional lines of distinction no longer exist, and
system which wrings money from the people
to bestow upon political aspirations, be they
friends or otherwise. The question is, shall
we cut down the revenue to our wants, or
shal. we keep this revenue year after year,
or shall we dry up the sources of this rev.
cnue and stop this wrong to the country!"
Congressman Breckenridge, of Kentucky,
said 'Protection is never healthy nor in
the long run profitable any more than fever
ish strength and restlcssness produced by
stimulants is evidence of health. The present
rates of taxation are unequaled,
onerous aud hultful to the mass of
those employed in the industries professedly
sought to be protected, and so far as taxation
Is unnecessary for the necessities OF govern
ment, economically administered, it is un-
justly imposed and illegally gathered from
the people. A reduction of taxation and re-
vision of the tariff must be made gradually
and cautiously, with the constant remem-
hrance that systems long cstablsed cannot
he readily changed and that grave practical
difficulties lie in the path of any reform.
In the nature of the case all protective tariffs
must have an element of instability and I'm.
certainty. There are few to whom this
system is indeed a bonanza; to all others il
IN an injury and wronR"
Congressniah Wilson, of West Virginia
Congressman Rogers, of Arkansas, and 9th
ers followed in brief addresses.